Finding You
by MysticPuma
Summary: After the Lady Lyndis has reclaimed her heritage, Lucius decides its time to find Lord Raymond...


**AN: Technically, I wrote this BEFORE "In the Rain"... This is therefore my second fic in the Fire Emblem Lucius and Raven sorta ball-park...**

**(warning: this is me, therefore there are small suggestions that they are more than friends... but really it's very thin and if you wanna read it as just close friends, I think you could)**

**Yeah, I wrote this in a car... On the 8 hour drive home from Scotland. I think this took an hour or two...? I dunno... Anyway! If it is at all odd or anything... I was in a car... On an 8 hour journey... I was NOT myself XD**

**So, I'll stop stalling, and let you read it :) Here you go x I hope you enjoy!**

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**Finding You**

"Forgive me, milady Lyndis, but I must now take my leave." Lucius said solemnly. He had warred with himself constantly over the past couple of weeks as the Lady Lyndis settled into her new role as princess, and had finally decided he must depart to seek out Lord Raymond. "There are urgent matters that I must attend to elsewhere. I hope you understand."

"Of course, Lucius… But please, call me Lyn. You know how I dislike titles."

"Forgive me. It is automatic. The man I am searching for has a similar distaste for the frills of his lineage, yet I cannot help but address him in such a way." Lucius explained.

"I see. Well, in any case, we shall all greatly miss you, Lucius. You have been a valuable ally, and a steadfast friend, thank you for everything." Lyn smiled sadly, and she felt tears well up in her eyes, as she pulled the monk into a tight embrace. Lucius smiled, returning the gesture with his usual gentleness.

"I shall miss you as well, but I know we shall meet again. I feel it." He said, as some measure of comfort to them both.

"I hope you are correct, Lucius. I shall look forward to that day."

"Farewell. May Elimine bless you." He said finally, as he took his leave of the court, a small satchel containing his only supplies.

Lyn had been kind enough to provide him with a few hundred gold to ease his journey, as thanks for his aid, but he was determined to use it sparingly, lest he become reliant on it.

His search had begun anew. He had been searching for his Lord Raymond since they were separated in Khathelet, where the problems surrounding Ninian and Nils had caused them to be attacked by a small branch of the Black Fang forces. There had been too many, and Raymond had seen that, ordering Lucius to run as far as he could, while he led them away. Lucius had obeyed, and days later, when he was returning to the scene of their separation to search, he found the inn in which the children were staying, using the little money he had to garner a place to stay, resolving to find his Lord the following morning.

Obviously, his plans had been sent awry by the re-appearance of the Black Fang and his subsequent involvement with the Lady Lyndis and her quest to save her grandfather.

But now he could find Lord Raymond. If he was still alive, that was… No, he could not think like that. He would have known if something had happened to Raymond, he would have felt it. He had felt nothing but the usual wooziness his sickness brought on as he aided Lyn.

He had successfully kept that under control, or at least well hidden from the others, and he was glad of that. Few people knew of his sickness, Lord Raymond being one. He never knew how people would react to such a strange sickness of the soul, but he had a feeling it would often as not be detrimental to him.

As he left Caelin behind, Lucius headed for Khathalet, hoping that Lord Raymond would think to go there also. If not, he honestly had no idea what he would do. All he could do was pray for his Lord's safety, and pray that they would meet soon.

The journey gave him ample time to reflect on his situation, separated from his Lord as he was, and it crossed his mind how Lord Raymond often worried about him and his lack of defensive capabilities. True, he could often defeat an enemy before they could reach him to stab him, but just as often were the times that he was wounded while fumbling with his magic tome.

The glares he would receive when they reached safety could easily be mistaken for the annoyed glares of someone who believed him to be a liability, but Lord Raymond had always told Lucius he was not a liability to him, and Lucius was the only one he would not lie to.

No, it was something else that caused those glares to appear on Lord Raymond's face. Worry, concern, and Lucius' heart warmed as he thought of that worry, not noticing the hidden bandit in the wood to his right.

But this man's steps were clumsy and loud, and Lucius heard him coming, spinning around to face him as he drew his lightning tome, raising his hand as he muttered the incantation.

The brigand was thrown to the ground in a blast of light, and Lucius took his opportunity, turning on his heel and fleeing. He hoped that the thick hide he used as clothes, and the heavy axe he wielded would be slow him down enough to allow Lucius to be faster, in his light-weight robes and small satchel. But he had no guarantee that this would hold true, ad he couldn't risk looking over his shoulder, lest the moment he did he slowed down enough to allow the bandit to catch him. So he continued to run, clutching the small book tightly in his hands, as though it were a life-line.

He had to survive. He had to find Lord Raymond and prevent his path of revenge. But if this brigand were to catch him, he would never see Lord Raymond's face again, and that thought was something he couldn't bear. So he could only run, praying to St Elimine that he would find a village soon, or better yet a town. Somewhere the bandit would be loath to go, lest he lose his life.

But no matter how many hills he ran up, not once did a village appear. Nowhere to grant him sanctuary. He risked a glance over his shoulder, and the brigand was still chasing him. How long had it been?

Although it felt to Lucius like many hours, only mere moments had truly passed, but as he ran, he felt his stamina waning, and his strength fading. His legs slowly turned to lead, and his feet to bricks. His feather-light tome now felt like a stone slab in his aching arms, and his breath caught in his throat. His chest was burning, and he knew he would either trip over his tiring legs, or simply collapse from exhaustion. He could walk for days without feeling this tired, but the sudden quantity of the energy he was using caused his body to rebel in the worst of ways. He couldn't go on much longer.

But then, as though guided by the great saint herself, Lucius heard the sound of clashing metal behind him, as he tripped and fell to the ground. Someone had come to fight in his defense! He wanted to turn, to help them, or thank them… But he had stopped moving now, and the running had caught up to him.

It was as though a shadow of him followed as he ran. The more he ran, the darker it got, and he was running from it as well as his pursuer. Once he stopped, the shadow would grip him tightly, sapping energy from his body equivalent to the exertion he'd put it through to chase him. And as it drained him, his world went black, consumed by the shadow's power.

He awoke to the dark sky of night, dotted with small, bright stars. His senses began to come back, and he could feel the grass under his fingers, which he forced to move, to stroke the delicate blades beneath them. He smelt smoke, dusty and warm, from a crudely built camp-fire, of dried twigs and grass. He couldn't hear much, except crickets chirping in the distance and the crackling of the fire. Peaceful sounds, well suited to the night.

He wanted to sit up, but his body refused him, determined to continue resting. He tried to look around him while still on the ground, but just saw more sky, although he did find the plume of dark grey smoke, and the orange glow of the fire beneath it, which he was unable to see.

He blinked hard, trying to clear his eyes of the bleariness that covered them, and coughed to clear his throat. He heard movement beside him. The fire crackled with a sudden intensity as his saviour poked the flames.

"I see you're awake." No. No, he was dreaming. Either that, or he'd died and gone to heaven. It couldn't be… That voice was so familiar. Perhaps it was someone else… "How do you feel, Lucius?" It couldn't be someone else. How would they know who he was?

"L-Lord… Raym-" his attempt at speech was cut short by a series of violent coughs, which, although painful, did give him a sudden jolt of movement which allowed him to force himself to rise into a sitting position. He slowly, laboriously, turned himself around, and his heart leapt with joy at the sight that greeted him.

Lord Raymond, his Lord Raymond, was sat with one leg crossed underneath him, and the other bent over it. On that leg, he rested his left arm, slung across him, his hand hanging limply at his side. With his other arm, he held a stick with which he was stoking the small fire. His clothes were a little more ragged than when they'd last been together, but they were still sturdy.

His eyebrows and mouth were both set in hard lines, and his deep eyes stared into the flames as they flickered and danced. But as he turned, they melted into a smile of relief and genuine friendship.

"You… You're okay… You found me…" Lucius had found his voice, and he was going to use it. "Oh… Oh Lord Raymond!" he cried, flinging himself at the mercenary with arms wide, wrapping them around his muscular frame and sobbing into his companion's shoulder. "Oh thank Elimine you're alright!"

"Lucius, you fool. Worry about yourself. Traveling on your own, you could have got yourself killed." Raven snapped. But Lucius didn't mind. It was how his Lord spoke, and it was wonderful. His voice was wonderful, and his presence was even better. The mercenary sighed, bringing his arm around to pat Lucius on the back comfortingly. "I'm glad you're safe." He whispered, letting his head fall gently atop the monk's as he drifted back to sleep.

Raven did not need to sleep. He was far too on edge for it anyway. He had to protect Lucius, and if he had to go without sleep, so be it.

Lucius clung to him all through the night, and the night passed peacefully, the only noises breaking the silence were of the fire and Lucius' calm, deep breathing.

They were both content.

They had found each other.

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**YAY CHEESE**

**I like cheese...**

**Too much...**

**MEH! Hope you liked it :D x**


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